Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-11-10
VERY PRECIOUS.

rose with each repetition, and her
cheeks got redder and redder. 81
must know better than you, Rosiel"
80, oil course; you do not call it Civ
ing but | do. You were standing by,
Isuppose, when he took it? Your
eyes were cast down and you put your
most becoming pout on? And now
that Tom Crichton, with his ten thous-
and year, falls in love with you and
wants to marry you, you are afraid
poor Geoff Hamilton will show him
your photograph and talk about
your silly letters and make mischief
You incorrigible little fliIt 1t would
serve You right to be treated as you
have treated others. How many
men have you made fool of, wonder?
A dozen?"
The speaker spoke sarcastically; her
nearer was beginning to cry. The
girls were sisters, both young, both
pretty and charming. but Lefty, the
younger, was lovely, brainless little
flirt. The older, Rosalind, had plenty
OF brains, but scarcely experience
enough to enable her to use them
judiciously. She was q brilliant crea
ture to look at; warm hearted and
impulslve to fault. There was
nothing she would not do or dare for
one she loved, ana she dearly loved
her bewitching little sister, and re.
joiced with all her heart when the
genial, good looking young Squire
Tom Crichton, who came into the
neiehborhood to take possession Of
an unexpected Inheritance, fell in love
at first sight with Lefty and propos-
ed to her after week acquaintance.
But Tom was a quick. tempered,
jealous young fellow. and he had al
ready spoken his mind to Miss Lefty
about her love of Irritation. She
promised TO amend her ways, hut it
was more than she could do to keep
her promise when temptation came
in alluring guise.
Mireford was garrison town, and
one of the gallant Dashshire Regiment,
Godfrey Hamilton by name, had
quickly succumbed to the destinations
OF the younger of the two daughters
OF the widowed Mrs. Maitland, who
lived in q pretty cottage on tue Lon
don road, about halfa mile or so from
Mireford. 1t was in vain that Rosa
lind warned the Needless young CO.
quette that she was treating poor
young Hamilton disgracefully. But
III good truth the young man was very
well able to take care OF himself. He
was not very deeply wounded; but as
soon as Crichton appeared upon the
scene, he made up his mind to punish
Miss Lefty, If possible, for her tricks.
by pretending to be broken-hearted
and desperately jealous.
He was, however, sufficiently in love
to put fair amount OF seriousness
into his reproaches; and when he flat
ly refused to give up the photograph
Lefty had given him, and one or
two absurd little notes she had
written to him, and a glove he
had purloined, the silly girl was
thoroughly frightened, and firmly per.
about it and break of his engagement.
Had Rosalind but known how slightly
Hamilton's heart was touched, she
would have quickly laughed Lefty out
of herfright; but when the girl solemn
ly assured her that Geof was so
much in love, and so angry and jeal-
Gus, that she knew he meant to have
his revenge, the sensible elder sister
forgot that she was not living in a
melodramatic age; and, moreover, she
quite overlooked the fact that Hami-
ton being gentleman, it was not
likely that he would act as ii he were
a cad
So, on the whole, things were look
ing very serious when, Tor the fiftieth
time at least, Rosalind tried to make
her sister confess whether she had
given Geoff the photograph, or wheth-
er he had taken it from Mrs. Matt
lands album. She had her own
opinion on the subject; so it was really
waste OF time to cross.question the
naughty girl, who was anxious to
keep the peace between the old love
and the new.
81 think you are very unkind,
Rosie" she said at last; land if you
do not believe me, how can l expect
Tom to do it?"
81 do not expect Tom to do i'll You
talk as il believing in you were GYM
nastic feat. / know what / should
do in Toms place, il another man
told me he had a photograph of the
girl meant TO marry, and gloves and
things"
"He has only one glove and no
things!" interrupted Lefty. whimper-
ing. Don't exaggerate; and | gave
Tom two photographs-one sitting
and one standing-and he has heaps
and heaps of letters"
81 hope the spelling is all right"
81 hope so. He is not much OF a
speller himself.
Gle spelt 'adored' with two DIS the
other day-'My addored one 1t
looked so funny"
"Mr. Hamilton is away just now, is
he not?" Rosalind asked presently.
Eyes He went to his sisters wedding.
] wish it was to his own.
"He does not live in barracks, /
Think"
"No; he has rooms in Diamond
Crescent, No. Is, Gerard Townsend
lives with him."
"He is the communicating person
who is reading for something and new
er goes out? And now l suppose
you are going to write to your ad.
dored Tom? am going out for q
walk"
"And won't you advise me how to
NOT hack my nhotograph? / wish